Your Extensive Guide on How to Choose a Language Service Provider
We’re going to propose a scenario that we’re sure you can relate to; you’re sitting at your desk one day, getting on with your work as planned, when — out of the blue — the idea hits you: let’s go global!
Okay, maybe it wasn’t your idea; maybe it was your boss or a colleague who suggested it. Regardless of where the idea came from, we happen to agree that it’s a great one.
So, what now? Aside from all the logistics, you’ll probably need some localised content.
You’ll need translation services to be able to post content and advertise in your new international target market. But, how do you actually do that? How do you choose a language service provider? Get on Google, find a company that can do the translation, and get stuck in! Right?
We admire your tenacity, but it’s not always that simple. When you’re deciding on a language service provider (or LSP) for your business, there are some key factors to consider if you want to create a long-term, mutually-beneficial relationship. At the very least, you need to ensure high quality and the integrity of your content delivery schedule.
Not to worry, though — we’re here to walk you through exactly how to choose a language service provider that best suits your business. In this extensive guide, you’ll learn the main things you need to know about an LSP, why they’re important, and how to go about discovering the best fit for you.
Evaluate your project needs
To know how to choose a language service provider that’s right for you, you have to first figure out what you need. LSPs aren’t all made equally, and they don’t all offer the exact same services, so first you need to evaluate what you’re looking for.
You’ll need to consider the restrictions and limitations, as well as the kinds of services you might need.
How do you do that? By asking yourself these simple questions…
What do you need translating?
The first thing to consider when it comes to evaluating your needs is to know what you actually want translating. There are a couple of parts to this one, so bear with us! We promise it’s worth it.
The language(s) you need your content to be translated into should be your first determination. Make note of the target languages, as well as the original language, so you can find an LSP who has the experience and ability to work with your chosen language pairs.
Not every company covers every language pair, as some specialise a bit more than others, so be sure to make this the first thing you check.
It’s not just about the language pairs, though — it’s also about the platforms you’re targeting. Is your content for social media? A website? Is it a blog post, an article, or ecommerce copy? Whatever it is, once you’ve decided on all the content you need translating, and where that content will be published, you’ll have a better idea of how to choose a language service provider that’s perfect for your business.
As with language pairings, some LSPs specialise in certain content or platforms. One may specialise in website content, whilst another specialises in social media. It’s important to find an LSP who is adept at what you need, as different platforms have certain nuances in content that make them more suitable for their audiences.
Whether you need a mix of content for different platforms, or you’re just looking for a good all-rounder, you can also find LSPs who are experts at a range of language pairs and platforms.
Who is your target audience?
Now you know what you want, let’s find out who you need it for. Your target audience matters, as it can dictate how (and why) things are said in your material. The way you write your content — and the way it’s translated for international markets — varies greatly based on your audience.
Providing information such as the age range, gender, location, job, interests, and values of your audience can help your LSP tailor your translation. An LSP that specialises in certain languages or platforms may be inherently better suited to your audience if those two things match up. However, an all-rounder LSP may be a better choice if you have more than just a niche audience, as they can tailor your content to match a wider array of target markets.
Translation, localisation, or transcreation?
Speaking of tailoring your translations, do you know if you need to do that for your audience?
Translation, as it’s defined, is simply changing content from one language into another so it maintains its meaning. Localisation and transcreation, however, go a lot further than that. Most content will need some localisation or transcreation work — rather than just straightforward translation — so that it’s more tailored to the target audience.
Some things won’t make sense to other cultures: idioms, cultural references, certain words or concepts that just don’t translate. Localisation and transcreation fixes that.
Localisation is the adaptation of content for the target culture, as described above. Transcreation goes further still and adds a touch of creativity into the mix, changing the content so it better fits the audience.
Your language service provider can help you decide which of the three you need if you’re not sure yourself.
12 questions that exemplify how to choose a language service provider
Once you know what you need, it’s time to start looking for a language service provider that meets those needs. But how do you ensure you find the right match for your business?
We’ve made it simple by outlining the 12 key questions you need to ask yourself and your prospective LSP. The answers will show you the best choice for the language services you require. Once you know how to choose a language service provider, these deceptively simple questions will make the process quicker and smoother.
From communication and reliability to the diversity of the talent pool and revisions — we’ve broken it all down for you.
1. Are they available?
You can find a great LSP that seems to offer it all: affordable, great delivery times, good customer service, an inclusive pool of translators, and experts in your field.
However, none of that matters if they don’t have the availability you need.
Are they currently taking on new clients? Do they have the capacity for your project? Will they remain available throughout the duration of your project?
Regardless of whether your project is large or small, you need to ensure that the perfect language provider is available to do the job — because, if they’re not, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
To find out, simply ask them if they’re currently taking on new clients. If they say yes, you can lay out the scope of your project and the projected timeline, and they can let you know whether or not they’ll have the availability and resources to get your work done.
Ask yourself:
Will they have the time and resources for my project?
Can they do this comfortably without stretching themselves too thin?
Will they still have the capacity if I need to make last-minute changes?
2. Do they fit within your budget?
Whether you’re a big company or an SME, you’ll have a certain amount you can spend on any potential LSP. Once you have an idea of what you’ll need, do some general research and find out average prices to make sure you budget accordingly.
Are there any hidden charges? Do they have a clear pricing structure? Does their quote fit in with your budget?
To find the answers to your questions, you can start on their website. The website of any good LSP should give you at least a general idea about pricing. Some will take a ‘prices start from…’ approach, whilst others will lay out a full pricing structure.
Pricing can be per word, per page, or even hourly for some companies, so the price you’re quoted may be different to what you expect if you’ve not done enough research. If you’re unsure about prices, you can simply ask for a quote. Ask for the cheapest quote they can do, including proofreading, for your entire project. Be sure to ask if there are any discounts for bulk orders if you have a larger project.
If your budget won’t quite stretch to what you need, approach the LSPs you have in mind and tell them what you can afford. Many are more than happy to discuss pricing and services in order to fit your budget.
Once you have a quote you’re happy with, you can get a budget agreed to by shareholders, and/or the finance department for your business, and start your translation journey.
Ask yourself:
How do their prices compare to other LSPs?
Are they happy to negotiate, and do they lower prices for bulk work or partnerships?
Is their pricing clear, and will they charge me extra for things like revisions?
3. Do they have order limits, restrictions, or requirements?
Some projects will be larger, and some will be smaller, but do you know what the restrictions of the LSP are? Do they have a minimum order size requirement, for example? Or maybe they have a cap on how large the order can be?
Whether you have a single sentence or an entire novel, you need to check if the language service provider can do what you need them to. Some won’t translate single words or sentences as they have a minimum requirement to prevent operating at a loss, and some may not be able to commit to very large projects in one go.
Ask the LSP what their minimum and maximum project requirements are — and make sure you know if this changes for existing clients.
Ask yourself:
Do I know the word or page count for the things I need translating?
Do they structure their services around word or page count?
Are there any minimums or maximums in their services?
4. Can they meet your delivery requirements?
One of the most important questions (if not the most) is whether or not your potential LSP can deliver what you need on time — but how do you actually determine if they’re suitable?
If you have a big project, for instance, it’s vital that you know upfront if they have the linguists available to complete it, and complete it on time.
Even with simpler jobs, some smaller agencies may have fewer staff available for the work, so delivery times can be longer than you’d expect — each of those linguists will have more work to juggle.
To find out how reliable their delivery times are, and if they fit in with your time requirements, you can simply request a test piece. This can be a short piece of writing that requires translation quickly, and it can be as simple or as complicated as you expect the rest of your translations to be.
If they deliver high-quality content on time, it’s a good bet that they’re going to do so in the future as well. As long as they’ve stuck to the deadline and were able to handle the translation request last minute, you’ve found a winner.
Ask yourself:
Do they have experience working to specific deadlines?
Do their delivery estimates fit with my schedule?
How do they guarantee the work will be completed on time?
5. Are revisions included?
Things are rarely perfect the first time around, and it’s common that translations will require some revisions; you’ll need to be clued up on how the agency handles these revisions, if and when you need them.
Do you get amendments and revisions included in the price you’ve agreed to? If they cost extra, then how much? What’s actually included in ‘inclusive’ revisions? There’s a big difference between correcting a sentence and rewriting a whole paragraph, after all.
Revisions are a way of life in the translation and content world, so it’s important to ask your LSP what’s included and what isn’t before you get started. This ensures that you’re not hit with any nasty surprises later on that cost you time and money, and cause you extra stress.
Ask yourself:
Will they correct any of their own mistakes for free?
Does it cost extra if I have suggestions for changing things?
Will they explain these extra costs before doing the work?
6. Are they development- and format-friendly?
Some LSPs don’t work within certain file formats, or can’t work in documents that contain code (such as HTML, CSS, etc.). This means that you would have to spend extra time and effort extracting what is needed from the documents, or converting them into a different format, if you wanted to work with them.
The ideal LSP will be able to work within the original document, with all the original content included. They can work around the code, allowing you to simply plug it directly into your website when finished.
Ask yourself:
Does their website specify the formats they accept or work in?
Is it easy for me to change file formats if necessary?
Once I’ve told them the format I’m working in, are they happy to go ahead?
7. What other language services do they provide?
The world of language services isn’t made up of just literal translation and localisation — there’s a whole world of transcreation, creative translation, marketing translation, copywriting, proofreading, and more. The services that your LSP provides have to match up with what you need.
If transcreation, marketing translation, or another service is best for your content, make sure that the agency you choose offers that service.
Even if you don’t need it now, you might need it in the future, so it’s best to go to someone with a wider range of services from the offset — otherwise, you’re back to square one. Much as we enjoy your company, you shouldn’t have to learn how to choose a language service provider more than once!
Then there’s proofreading to consider. It may not be your first thought when planning your translation strategy, but proofreading should definitely play a part in your decision; you look more professional when your content makes sense and is error-free. Does the LSP have a proofreading service included?
Future-proofing your relationship saves you time and effort if you ever need something that your existing LSP doesn’t provide. They’ve already signed the NDAs, you already have a relationship with them, you know they’re reliable and high-quality, and they’re already in your finance system.
Ask yourself:
What are all the language services I need now?
What language services could I need in the future, even if it seems unlikely?
Does the LSP I’m considering provide all of these?
8. Do they have experience in your industry?
When thinking about how to choose a language service provider, you need to remember that the target language and audience aren’t the only things that matter. Whatever your business sector is, it likely has certain nuances to it, and possibly even jargon that only someone in the industry would understand. Finding an LSP that can understand your content and the context of the industry is important.
A lot of LSPs have specialist areas of expertise, like technical fields, online marketing, legal, and so on. Make sure you find an LSP who understands your industry and has previous experience with it.
Ask yourself:
Does my industry often use specialist language or terminology?
Would someone outside the industry need lots of research to understand my text?
Does this LSP specialise in the industry, or have writers that are familiar with it?
9. Do they work with professional, native linguists?
This one is important — more important than you might think.
The best LSPs will work with expert linguists who specialise in certain language pairs, types of content, and even industries; make sure that the LSP you choose uses such linguists.
Specialist linguists are professionals who have experience and talent, but some agencies may use less experienced or less qualified linguists for overflow, or even as part of their main talent pool.
Whilst most translators are perfectly competent at a second language, a native speaker of your target language is always the better option. Native speakers know the language flawlessly, but they also know the culture. They can adapt the content to account for cultural nuances, and they know what makes sense and what doesn’t.
Even simple translations, without localisation or transcreation, are better with a native speaker; they’re experts in their language, and have a wealth of experience translating it.
Ask yourself:
Does the LSP advertise their translators as being native speakers?
Are they happy to discuss their experience with the language?
Are the translators fully fluent in both the source and target language?
10. Do they have a diverse talent pool?
You’ll need to make sure that the agency you choose has all of the expertise you need.
Ask yourself if the agency has a varied range of talents and specialities and if there’s a large talent pool, or just a few people.
You may not always need the same thing, and even if you do, your project may be spread across different channels, platforms, language pairs, and locations. It’s important to ensure that the LSP you decide to go with has the expertise for everything you need.
Separate translators will often undertake a larger project. Some may specialise in social media translation, others in website or advertising translation — and there are countless language pairs that an individual can specialise in. Does the LSP cover it all?
It isn’t just about the size of the talent pool; it’s the diversity. An LSP with dozens of expert copywriting translators who only work in English, French, and German is probably not a good choice if you need content for Spain.
Ask yourself:
How large is the LSP, and how many people are available for work?
Will my specific needs be met by specific individuals, or all be piled onto one person?
What is the full range of mediums, industries, and languages that they cover?
11. How responsive are they?
Communication is vital when it comes to building good business relationships, so the responsiveness of the agency you choose is a very important factor.
Do you know if they’ll be available when you have an urgent request? What’s their average response time if you have a question or a last-minute change? What about time zones? Can they still respond quickly if they’re based in London and you’re based in Singapore?
It’s something that can end up taking you by surprise if you’re not prepared. These sudden and unexpected requests do happen, and sometimes your boss will have last-minute suggestions or requests and you’ll need to act fast — but it won’t matter how fast you act if your LSP doesn’t respond in a timely manner.
Ask yourself:
Can they guarantee certain response times?
Am I able to find out the time zones of the people I’m working with?
Are they prepared for the possibility of last-minute changes?
12. How is their customer service, interaction, and communication style?
Good customer service and effective communication make the whole process more enjoyable. Everyone wants to work with a company that has their best interests at heart, and will be there to answer questions or make the customer experience better.
When speaking to a prospective agency, ask yourself a few questions about their customer service. How polite are they? Are they proactive? Are they helpful? Will they be enjoyable to work with? Do they go the extra mile? Are their customer service agents real people, or is it automated? The answers to these questions will help you understand whether they’ll be a good partner for your business.
Ask yourself:
Are their responses appropriate in tone and length for the situation?
Are they personable and polite from the get-go?
Do they keep track of my requests and work hard to problem-solve?
Still wondering how to choose a language service provider?
It’s been a journey of discovery, hasn’t it? We’ve taught you how to choose a language service provider, detailed the most important aspects of LSPs, and given you the key questions to ask — and how to get the answers.
Remember to consider your budget, ask for quotes, and maybe even send test pieces to get an idea of availability and price. Make sure they’re reliable, can deliver on time, have no hidden charges, and, of course, check if they offer proofreading and how they handle edits.
We hope you enjoyed our complete guide on how to choose a language service provider that’s right for you, your brand, and your project. If you keep everything we’ve explained here in mind, you’ll find the perfect match in no time.
So, what now? Well, if you’re looking for someone who can handle everything we’ve just discussed, why not consider the folks who just explained it all? We’ve certainly proven we know our stuff!
At ZippyLingo, we only work with native speakers and have an abundant, diverse talent pool. We take on jobs large and small, and will always look to accommodate our clients’ budgets. Our linguists are experts in several industries, and we pride ourselves on our responsiveness, customer service, and personalised communication.
Don’t believe us? Try us for yourself.
